“Cloverfield” follows a group of friends during the attack- originally they were gathered for a going away party for Rob (Michael Stahl-David), who will soon be leaving to take a job overseas. Among the party guests are Rob’s brother Jason (Mike Vogel), Jason’s girl Lily (Jessica Lucas), and Hud (T.J. Miller), Rob’s friend who will be running the camera during the party/disaster. I hesitate to say who will or will not survive- however, considering the film opens by say that the camera was just found in the aftermath, the odds for any of them are not too good.

Also in attendance is Rob’s unrequited love, Beth (Odette Yustman). Well, she’s kind of his unrequited love, in any case- interspersed with the monster attack are momentary flashes from a month earlier (the party/creature video is being recorded over that day‘s footage), when Rob and Beth shared a brief romantic fling. By the day of the party those moments are long gone, but clearly Rob’s feelings are not. As a result, when the monster hits, Rob’s first instinct is not to flee the city, but to go save Beth.

From a story perspective, I can see why the love story is there- the filmmakers wanted to add a touch of poignancy to their monster flick. Additionally, saving Beth gives Rob and company a reason to move towards the danger, when any rational person would run for the hills. I personally don’t think that we get to know enough about Rob and Beth’s history to establish their connection, however the rescue trip is scary and exciting enough to compensate for that.

And “Cloverfield” is thrilling- much like a video game, the first person perspective of the film really puts you right in the middle of the action. From the subway to a high rise, when the cast runs, you run. When they freak out, so do you. When they get eaten… well, you get the idea.

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